Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-03-10
WICHITA BY COMPARISON.
An Experienced, Observant and Sue.
cessful Business Man Reviews
the Situation.
ro che Editor OF the Eagle.

As one travels about the country from
city to city the various opinions he hears
respecting Wichita are quite amusing and
wonderfully contradictory. Jealous towns
regard it as windy wonder" but can
give no reasons for their pretended faith
except that its present growth is almost
phenomenal; and they say it cannot last,
the wish being father to the thought.
The writer has lived west OF the Missls-
sippi river ever since 1850, and has wit
messed the development of the whole west
ern country. He has passed the last SIX
months in look ing up the booming cities
on the Mississippi and Missouri rivers and
looking over the rapidly developing plains
of the west, but has never before seen any
thing to compare with your city for rapid
and apparently permanent growth. 1t is
the wonder of the decade.
1t appears to us that the jealous scoffer
who says that the present boom is only an
outbreak of greedy spectators. which will
subside when few sections of plated land
are unloaded, will soon awake to find that
his lack of faith and perception have kept
him from entering the financial paradise.
Those who think there is an actual boom
on, but doubt there being anything back
of it to make it permanent, will in our
opinion soon discover it is to be the great
cattle mart of the southwest. And the fOgy
who thinks it cannot become great city
because it is not on some navigable water
way is blind to the fact that the great
commercial and business centers of the
west have virtually abandoned their water
ways, and that the overland steam-coiner
is now the moving power of the CONNER
cial world.
We think Wichita is located just right to
become the great cattle mart of the coun-
try and she is not spreading too rapidly to
afford the coming thousands of laborers
and wage-workers cheap grounds for
homes for their families.
Our observation leads us to believe that
the demand for lots for actual improve
ment is more than twenty times as great as
it was in the spring of 1880. AS we
understand it already double the number
of buildings erected in 1886 have been con-
tracted for. As before stated we have
visited the booming cities of the west. We
spent considerable time in Kansas City,
and we believe the boom here is as legiti-
mate and permanent as in that city, and
that it is greater here thal there in proper
ton to the size of the two places. In 1885
we visited your city but went away one of
the doubters. We could see no founda-
ton for the hopes and expectations of your
people Since then, however, we see that
the country west, south and southw est OF
here is rapidly developing; that cities and
villages are growing up like magic; thai
you are right at the gateway to the vast
herding grounds, where the beef OF
the nation is Oaised, and right in
the midst of the lands where millions OF
bushels of corn can be raised to prepare
cattle and hogs for the slaughter; and that
west of your city are the rich mineral re-
gions of the country With these sur
roundings we think that the foundation
has been laid for one of the large cities of
the boundless southwestern prairies.
Wichita has a better prospect now of be-
coming leading city, than Kansas City
had five years ago, and a much better pros
peel than Omaha had at that time; because
of its location and the growing necessity
for its existence 1t is in the highway to
that country which has made Chicago. St.
Louis and Kansas City grow and get rich,
and the country is developing much faster
than ever before. and faster than any other
portion Of he United States ever develop
ed. The notion that & eat cities can only
be built on waterways has been exploded.
The fogy who dreamed that only water
ways could be successfully used for com
mercial carrying has had his dream turned
into nightmare. disturbed by the ever
present. shrieking and successful overland
steam carrier. Portland near the eastern,
and Pensacola near the southern extremity
of the country have two Of the best har.
bors in the United States. yet, as compared
with some of their inland neighbors, they
are mere villages AT as late day as the
starting Of Kansas City, ST. Paul, Mime
apolis, Omaha and other western cities,
waterways were deemed necessary to
the building of leading commercial
ccnters Chicago and Milwaukee now use
the lakes chiefly TO accumulate a part of
their lumber Much of ii is taken there by
rail, however ami nearly all their Com
merce is distributed by rail.
Minneapolis and ST Paul have nearly
abandoned the use of the Mississippi river,
and Kansas Oay would willingly blot out
the muddy Missouri and fill its channel
with her uncouth bluffs, while Omaha has
found the bridging of the Missouri one of
her greatest drawbacks. The railways are
now the commercial highways, and Wicli-
liz seems to be Well connected by them
with the latest of the land.
Commercial centers have constantly
grown at the eastern lini; of that portion
of the country whose deyolopement made
their existence necessary New York
City was the center while the country was
only developed cas-; anJ south of the great
lakes, When the vast west began 10 open
up Chicago came into existence and St